Control: For a worthy aim or for its own sake?

It is extremely
important to differentiate legitimate control that one person exercises over another
from the control that is pursued as an end itself. The latter invariably results
in injury to others.

Many people excercise control over others while retaining
integrity and remaining personally responsible. Control is neither bad nor good.
How one pursues and exercises it are critical. Police officers, teachers, parents,
executives and many others all exercise control over other people in their jobs
or day to day lives. It is built into the legitimate role that they have. Some
people obtain control legitimately and then abuse it. An example is the law
enforcement officer who mistreats an offender during an interrogation or at a
lockup facility.

Criminals seek control for the sake of control. Their estimation
of themselves rises and falls in great part on the basis of their prevailing over
another person. Domination is an end in itself. A failure to control is perceived
as a personal affront, a threat to the criminal's self-image. He resolves to demonstrate
that he is someone and becomes even more determined to wrest control whether it
be by stealth, intimidation, or brute force.